


Family Crisis

by AnnoyingShrimp



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, Batfamily (DCU), Dick Grayson-centric, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, They all need a hug, Trauma, shared trauma brings the family together ig, will update tags with each chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:28:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28339227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnoyingShrimp/pseuds/AnnoyingShrimp
Summary: When Dick tries to resolve a hostage situation involving his best friend Wally things go sideways and he ends up walking right into the Joker and Bane's trap.And it turns out this is only the first in a series of problems the Batfamily will have to face, forcing them all to work together - which not everyone is too happy about.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

“Closing in now.”  
  
Dick landed light-footedly, not making a sound as he perched in the nightly shadows atop the large metal container. Maniacal laughter echoed from the docks below. The Joker’s broadcast through hijacked live television demanding for Batman to show up and the police to stay away had already presented the gist of it, but the situation still looked worse up close. Six hostages. One of them badly hurt, one of them Dick’s best friend. All held at gunpoint by four shady-looking figures. The Joker behind them, pacing up and down with a wide grin on his lips. Bane somewhere else around the vicinity, not visible to him but definitely nearby. And a huge floodlight, casting a faked Bat-Signal at the clouded night sky over Blüdhaven. A signal that was meant for people in need, not for villains to use as a call for Batman’s attention. The irony made him sick.  
  
“No. Wait until I’m there.” Dick let out an irritated huff at Bruce’s voice over the intercom in his ear.  
  
“I won’t just sit here and watch people die.”  
  
“They won’t kill them. Not yet at least. They want me there.” Bruce sounded stern, as if to tolerate no dissent. “They’ll wait with their show until I’ve arrived.”  
  
“Maybe, but the victims need medical attention. Now." He nervously glanced down at the hostages. "One of them has a gunshot wound, he’s already unconscious. I called an ambulance to wait nearby but if this man doesn’t get treatment soon he will bleed to his death.”  
  
Dick could practically hear Bruce’s scowl. “It’s too dangerous. You can’t take them out alone, Nightwing. You’ll just make the situation worse.” He bit back the urge to make a bitter comment about how Bruce still didn’t have enough faith in him. Deep down he knew his former mentor was right. “Besides, this whole thing is suspicious. Doing all this in Blüdhaven, not Gotham? And that one of the hostages is Wally West, the one time he’s here to visit? This is too connected to you.”  
  
“Even more reason to interfere.” This was his city. These were his people to protect. “I know this could very well be a trap, but I will not risk any lives just so I can stay safe.”  
  
“Nightwing, we’ll solve this together, so wait until I’m there. That’s an order.”  
  
“Sorry, but I won’t”, he denied. “They need help, as soon as possible. If we wait any longer someone could die. I’m not letting that happen.”  
  
“If this is about Wally West, you need to keep your head clear. For fuck’s sake, Dick, just stay-” Dick turned off the intercom. He knew he was being irrational. But he wasn’t going to stand on the sidelines and wait until Batman came all the way from Gotham to save the day. One of the hostages was slowly bleeding to death, his best friend was in danger and the Joker seemed to be growing increasingly impatient and with that even more unpredictable. If Batman took too long it wasn’t unlikely for him to kill someone as a warning or merely out of boredom. Dick wouldn’t risk that just to save his own ass.  
  
He could rescue them. If he was careful about it. He took a deep breath of cold November air and reaffirmed that he was still hidden in darkness atop the metal container before properly evaluating the scene below him. Two women and two men with cocky expressions, the women with guns pointed at the hostages that were kneeling before them with their hands and feet tied up. From up here he couldn’t discern whether or not the men had any weapons hidden under their coats as well, even with his domino mask enhancing his vision. The Joker was still pacing up and down behind his allies, knives and a crowbar attached to his belt, Bane still nowhere to be seen. The victims weren’t any important figures, two women and four men seemingly randomly picked off the street, including his best friend Wally. The man with the bullet wound in his shoulder had slumped down, clearly unconscious, his entire left side covered in blood. Wally looked a bit roughed up, but didn’t seem to be seriously hurt. And still had quite some energy left judging by the way he was loudly jeering at the small group holding him and the others hostage.  
  
“What, you guys too scared to face the Bat head-on without us as bargain?”, he grinned. Not a trace of fear in his voice despite the scowls he received from Joker and Bane’s allies who were trying incredibly hard to ignore his mockery. Even though he had retired from working as Kid Flash for the time being Wally’s courage hadn’t faded one bit and neither had his stubborn stupidity. Dick almost had to smile a little.  
  
Maybe it wasn’t so bad that Wally was here. If Dick could create a diversion and free his best friend first he would be able to carry the other hostages to safety while Dick would distract the enemy. He was retired, but still a speedster. Taking out the small fries wouldn’t be much of a challenge and when it came to the Joker and Bane, he could at least keep them busy until Batman arrived. He wasn’t planning on defeating them on his own. He just needed to buy some time for the victims so that they could escape and have their injuries treated before it got any worse.  
  
“Alright, I got this”, he mumbled to himself.  
  
Dick carefully turned away from the scene to drop down onto another metal container behind the one he had been using as his lookout. All of his senses were on alert, eyes piercing the darkness around him for signs of Bane. Not knowing where to expect the other villain was definitely a problem, but as long as he was cautious he would manage. They didn’t know he was here yet. He only needed to get to the pallet racks behind the hostages, not far from where he was now, sparing him the trouble of having to round the docks unseen. His plan was risky, but definitely better than just leaving the victims to their fate until Batman was here.  
  
Dick made his way across the containers, hidden by shadows and careful not to cause any noise. He could hear Wally’s voice, still mocking the criminals, completely ignoring their threats to kill him if he didn’t shut up.  
  
Dick ground his teeth. “Don’t overdo it, Wall.”  
  
“Now, now. We can’t kill the boy.” That was the Joker. “Not yet. I have no objections against hurting him, though.” The twisted laughter that followed turned his stomach. A sharp thump, then another, a pained grunt from Wally.  
  
“Fuck you”, his best friend huffed. “Aw, did I hurt your pretty face? That all you got?” Was he trying to fight back like this? Or to turn the criminals’ attention to him in order to keep the other hostages safe? Dick couldn’t help but feel some sort of pride alongside his worry, but with the focus now on Wally this would make his plan a lot harder to execute.  
  
“You want more, kid?” Another thump, louder this time. Wally gasping for air.  
  
“Shit”, Dick hissed.  
  
He tried to move faster, anxious about how far they would go if he took too long. Saving his best friend and the other hostages wouldn’t be of any use if they ended up dying from their injuries. Through a small gap between two containers he could see Wally doubled over, one of the women standing before him with a smug grin. Wally said something, too quiet for him to understand, and the woman kicked him in the stomach, laughing. Dick felt his worry turn into anger. He had to end this, now.  
  
He didn’t notice that his tunnel vision had made him drop his guard until he heard Bane’s voice right behind him. “Hello, little bird.”  
  
Dick didn’t even have time to turn around before Bane’s fist crashed into his back and sent him flying into a container, toppling it over and crashing down onto the docks along with it. He managed to take some impact out of his fall with a backwards roll, quickly back on his feet and immediately drawing his escrima sticks from their clasps on his thigh. If Bane hadn’t been about to punch him in the face he would have done it himself for making such an amateur mistake. How many times had Bruce told him to stay levelheaded no matter the situation?  
  
“Birdboy!” The Joker’s voice was brimming with delight. “So glad you could make it.”  
  
“Likewise.” Dick tried to assess the situation while dodging Bane’s attacks, letting them shatter the ground and metal containers instead of his bones. The women were still aiming their guns at the frightened hostages, the men diverting their attention between them and him. Wally looked like he was about to jump to his feet, but tied up and with a gun to his head there was nothing he could do. The Joker just stood there laughing. This sure wasn’t going as planned. “Would prefer the party without strangers, though. Why don’t you let these people go so we can have some alone time?”  
  
“You don’t like the company?” The Joker sounded theatrically hurt. “Come on, birdie, we even went through the trouble of bringing your friend.”  
  
So it really wasn’t only a strange coincidence that Wally was here. How the hell had they been able to find out? “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He managed to land a hit on Bane’s shoulder after dodging a swing at his chest, but even with the tasers on his weapons it barely had any effect. God, this guy was a nuisance to fight. If he could just rip out the tube providing him with Venom. But Bane was too aware of his Achilles’ heel, never allowing Dick to get behind him, with an ease that made it seem like a habit more than a strategy.  
  
Dick tapped the intercom in his ear. “Hey, Batman?” Bane’s fist barely missed his face. “Wouldn’t mind if you hurried up a bit. I kinda fucked this up.” He wasn’t keen on admitting that he had made a mistake, but he also wasn’t in a position to be picky about that right now. Not with the lives of the hostages still at stake.  
  
“I told you to wait!” Bruce was audibly outraged. “I’m still ten minutes away. Hold out until I’m there. Don’t make it worse.”  
  
“Wasn’t trying to.” Man, Bruce was going to make him do so many chores back at the Batcave to make up for this.  
  
“Stop moving, will you, little bird?”, Bane growled. His attacks were getting faster, more powerful, fueled by rage.  
  
“Aw, you don’t like dancing?” Dick knew he couldn’t just keep dodging, but he had to move the fight away from the hostages. Bad enough that the man with the bullet wound still wasn’t being treated, he couldn’t get them into the crossfire on top of that. He frantically searched for some sort of escape route, all the while trying not to take a punch to the face. There wasn’t much space on the docks, the platform surrounded by water on all sides except one, and he couldn’t get to that path to the road without having to cross the center where the victims were being held at gunpoint. All he could do was to move further towards the water, cornering himself between it and Bane. Whatever, this had kind of been his plan anyway. Except for the part with the hostages still being hostages.  
  
A kick into his chest hurled him to the ground, painfully pressing the air out of his lungs. “Ow”, Dick squeezed out and rolled over just in time to not have his rib cage crushed by his opponent’s foot.  
  
“Hey, Birdboy!”  
  
“Kinda busy here, Joker.” He jumped back to his feet and rammed one of his escrima sticks into Bane’s side. He barely staggered.  
  
“I suggest you give up, or your friend here will be missing his brains.”  
  
Dick avoided a swing to his head and got a glimpse of the Joker a few meters behind Bane. He had dragged Wally onto his feet by his collar. And a gun. Pointed to his head. Awesome. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Dick’s mind was racing, discarding an abundance of ideas within just a few seconds. One wrong decision and Wally was dead. Not a chance to try and turn the tide in his favor without risking that. Except maybe one.  
  
“Okay!” Dick brought some distance between Bane and himself and raised his hands. “Okay”, he repeated. “You want me, not him, right? Let him go, the others too. Then I’ll surrender.”  
  
Bane stopped his attacks, somehow managing to look incredibly pissed even with a grin on his lips. “Drop your weapons.” The sadistic undertone of triumph in his voice sent chills down Dick’s spine.  
  
“Let them go first.”  
  
The Joker laughed hysterically. How he hated that laugh. “No offense, Birdboy, but I don’t think you’re in a position to negotiate here.” He pressed the barrel of his gun against Wally’s forehead as if to prove his point. “Drop them. And your other little toys too.”  
  
“Nightwing, don’t-” Wally was interrupted by a strike to his gut with the pistol grip that would have made him double over if it weren’t for the Joker still holding him up by his collar. Bastard.  
  
“Alright, relax!” Dick moved carefully, not letting the villains out of his sight for even a second as he slowly put down his escrima sticks, then his utility belt. Only some five minutes. He only needed to hold out until Bruce was here.  
  
“Good boy”, Bane grinned.  
  
Dick defensively raised his hands again. “There, I’m unarmed. Now release them.”  
  
The Joker tapped his chin with the gun barrel as if he was contemplating his demand. Then a wide smile spread across his face. “Nah. Not in the mood.” Of course not.  
  
Dick couldn’t even try to move before Bane had grabbed his shoulder and kneed him in the guts. He doubled over, the dull pain leaving him gasping for air. “Man”, he wheezed, “you guys really don’t know how to respect a deal.”  
  
Bane grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the center of the platform. Good. He was thrown onto the ground between the Joker and the hostages, right next to Wally. Dick allowed himself to give the victims a reassuring nod before trying to get back on his feet to face the Joker. The man in question pointed his gun back at Wally.  
  
“Stay down”, he commanded.  
  
“Alright, alright.” Dick raised his arms again and fell back to his knees. He glanced at the weapons attached to the villain’s belt. Could he reach those? Probably not. “So you got me. Now what?”  
  
“Now we wait for the big man”, the Joker smiled brightly. “He sure is taking his sweet time, don’t you think?”  
  
“Maybe stopped for some fast food.”  
  
He wasn’t sure if he should view the booming laugh he received from the Clown Prince of Crime in response as a compliment. “This is why I like you, birdie. Always so talkative.”  
  
“What can I say? It’s part of my charm”, Dick deadpanned. Not a compliment. Not one he wanted anyway.  
  
“Nightwing.” Bruce’s voice in his ear made him flinch. “I’m almost there, how’s the situation?” Bad timing.  
  
The Joker grinned, eyes glinting like those of a child on Christmas Eve. “Hold this.” He handed Bane the gun and sent Wally stumbling towards him, both villains ignoring his protests about not being a damn toy. Great. Dick had been hoping to be able to free his best friend as soon as Batman was here, enabling him to carry at least the man with the bullet wound to safety, while the Joker and Bane were distracted by Bruce. But he was out of reach now. Another plan ruined. Today really wasn’t his day. Dick shifted his weight uncomfortably, his whole body tensing up when the Joker came awfully close to tap the intercom in his ear with a twisted smile.  
  
“Hi, Batsy”, he whispered. Dick couldn’t help but notice that the crowbar was now in his hand. “We’re all waiting for you to join our little party.” He chuckled. “If you take too long I fear I’ll have to clip this little bird’s wings.” As if to prove he wasn’t bluffing he rammed the crowbar into Dick’s stomach. He couldn’t choke back the cry of pain that left his mouth. That had definitely cracked some ribs. He could hear Wally cursing and struggling against Bane’s grip, but without any success.  
  
“What the hell do you want, Joker?”, Bruce snarled.  
  
The Joker snatched the intercom out of Dick’s ear. “Just a little family reunion!” He winced when the villain tapped his weapon against his broken ribs. “I suppose you didn’t bring along the other kids?” Silence. “Shame, I was hoping to see at least the red one. He’s my favorite.” The Joker started pacing up and down, looking sickeningly pleased with himself as he let his eyes wander over the miserable scene in front of him. “Anyway”, he continued and stopped in front of Dick again, weighing his weapon in his hand. “Your little Birdboy here is entertaining and all, but I’m getting a bit bored. Don’t you know it’s rude to be late?” The crowbar struck Dick’s head like a bullet, white pain exploding in his skull. He barely felt how his body hit the ground. He choked, tasted blood, all sounds dull and masked by the throbbing in his head. Wally was screaming something, someone else behind him too, but he couldn’t make out any words. Pain was ringing in his ears, his field of view nothing but white for a few seconds. He tried to move, to at least get onto his hands and knees, but a sharp impact on his back returned him to the ground almost effortlessly against what little strength he could muster. Something warm and wet tickled the side of his face. Blood, probably.  
  
“There you are!” The Joker’s voice sounded muffled in his ears, strangely distorted.  
  
“Let them go.” Bruce. Finally.  
  
“Aw, but the show has just begun, Batsy.” Dick groaned as a boot on his back pressed him to the ground, a painful strain on his broken ribs. “Doesn’t this bring back memories? I thought this time maybe you might want to watch. Since you didn’t get to, back then. I mean, that was what – two, three years ago? Thought you might want a refresher.” The Joker giggled and struck him again. He squirmed with pain, choking for air. He could feel blood dripping from his lips.  
  
The picture pieced itself together. It all made sense, in a twisted way. Why they had set a trap for him. Why they had set up the Bat-Signal and hijacked television to call for Batman. Maybe even why the Joker had picked a crowbar as his weapon, of all things. All just to torture Bruce. To make him relive what he viewed as his biggest failure. The Joker knew what the death of the second Robin had done to Batman. He knew that this was one of the few ways to actually get to him. Hurting the people close to him. Just to further break him. If Dick hadn’t already felt like throwing up, now he definitely did.  
  
“You know, maybe I should kill all your little friends.” The Joker chuckled. Dick tried to move, see if there was anything he could do to help Bruce out. But all he achieved was for the villain to push his head back onto the ground with the crowbar, renewing the pounding pain in his skull. “Seems to improve their character. The red one is so much more fun now.”  
  
A thump, as if someone had landed on the platform behind the hostages. “Not for you, asshole.” Dick couldn’t believe his ears. Of all the things he would have expected, this wasn’t one of them. “Long time no see. I think that’s my big bro you’re beating up there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there ^^  
> I started this as a sort of short story just for my own enjoyment but I realized writing about the bats is way too much fun to just let it end so quickly. So instead of the initially planned 3 chapters I might turn this into a longer story.  
> I'm pretty busy (university and all oof) so updates might take a while.  
> That being said, thank you for reading and I hope you like it ^^


	2. Chapter 2

Dick couldn’t help but laugh, quickly regretting it thanks to the stinging pain it caused. He hadn’t seen Jason in months. He was usually out doing his own thing, still only rarely teaming up with the Bats. What a way to reunite with his Little Wing. Kind of embarrassing. He tried to turn his head to get a look at him, but the crowbar still forcing his head down made it impossible.  
  
“Wow”, he rasped. “Did you hand out invitations, Joker? You have to tell me what you wrote, he never comes to my parties.”  
  
“Because your parties suck”, Jason huffed.  
  
Another thud. Presumably Bruce, who had landed beside his former protégé.  
  
“Drop your weapons and let the hostages go”, he commanded.  
  
Dick could hear the sound of two guns being cocked. “Or you’re gonna regret it”, Jason grinned.  
  
“Why do you heroes always think you get to make demands?”, Bane growled, sounding beyond pissed. “I think you’re forgetting that we’re the ones with hostages.”  
  
“Oh well”, Jason hummed. Two shots rang, two screams and all hell broke loose.  
  
From the corner of his eye Dick could see Bruce charging at Bane, just a split second after the villain had dropped his gun, blood gushing from a bullet wound in his hand. With a “Head down, bro” Jason tackled the Joker, giving Dick the chance to roll over and finally get back on his feet. Which wasn’t as easy as he had hoped it would be. Even though he was able to ignore the pain from his broken ribs fairly well, fighting against the nausea and dizziness from what he assumed to be a concussion was a lot harder.  
  
“Less fainting, more fighting!”, Jason yelled and Dick turned around just in time to catch his escrima sticks and utility belt that Jason had thrown at him.  
  
He quickly tied the belt around his waist and tightened his grip on his weapons when there was suddenly someone beside him, a careful arm around his shoulders to steady him.  
  
“You okay, man?” Wally looked worried sick. There was blood splattered on his face, presumably Bane’s, and he had a nasty bruise forming above his eye.  
  
“Could ask you the same”, Dick smiled. “I’m alright. Just”, he gestured to his head, “this kinda sucks.” He glanced past Wally. The woman who had held the gun was now clutching her hand instead, blood from a gunshot wound dripping through her fingers. Jason’s move had been dangerous, but his aim sure was impeccable. The other three men and women had drawn their own weapons and were still threatening the hostages, seemingly torn between joining the fight and keeping the victims from escaping. “Can you carry the hostages to safety? The unconscious man first, he needs to get his injury treated as fast as possible. There’s an ambulance waiting by the street. I’ll take care of the goons.”  
  
Wally turned his head to get a look at the situation. “Sure, but… You sure you can handle all four of them?”  
  
“Wally, please”, Dick chuckled. “I think we’ve made it through worse before. I’m okay. Besides, that woman back there seems kinda out of commission already. I’ll be fine. Go save them.”  
  
“Alright then… team leader”, Wally sighed, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “But I’m so gonna kill you if you die.” And with that he was gone and the man with the bullet wound too. The henchmen and -women turned around in confusion. Dick staggered for a second with his support gone but quickly regained his balance. He couldn’t say he was steady on his feet but he would manage.  
  
“Get him!”, one of the men screamed at the other two, pointing in Dick’s direction. “He’s the priority! I’ll take care of Ava and the hostages.”  
  
“Not even gonna give me a chance to get my head in the game, huh?”, Dick mumbled and assumed a fighting stance.  
  
Bruce and Bane had moved further towards the metal containers stacked by the edge of the platform, Jason was occupied with fighting the Joker a few meters away from them. A mess of gunshots, smoke bombs and explosions. It was getting crowded, but there was still enough space to deal with the goons without endangering the victims or getting caught up in the other fights. Dick jumped at the man first, easily avoiding his sloppy attempt at stabbing him with one of his knives, and knocked him off balance with a side kick to his chest. A well-placed hit in the temple with his escrima stick made him collapse immediately. Dick turned around to face his other opponent. Pain hammered against his skull and his broken ribs protested against the movement with a sharp twinge. This sucked.  
  
“You know, you could just leave”, he tried with a crooked smile. The woman sure didn’t look like she was going to leave when she charged at him, nunchucks in hand. “Or not”, Dick sighed.  
  
Her attacks were aggressive and hard to block and she barely left any openings for him to strike back. Damn, she was a good fighter. Even without his injuries Dick would have had some trouble with her. With the injuries? So much worse. In his current state he wouldn’t be able to perform too many of his more acrobatic stunts. Even the kick before had hurt like hell. He didn’t really know how to deal with his opponent and he wasn’t in any shape for a dragged out fight. This definitely wasn’t how he had planned for the night to go. He caught a fleeting glimpse of Wally, appearing in a flash and disappearing with one of the hostages again. The man still guarding them seemed to be preparing to strike the next time he showed up. Another problem to solve.  
  
“Can you hang on for a sec?” Dick dodged an attack and jumped backwards to bring some distance between his opponent and himself, giving him just enough time to slide a Wing Ding towards the man next to the victims. It stopped right by his foot. The man turned around to him, one eyebrow raised in confusion.  
  
“You fucking missed, man”, he laughed.  
  
Dick grinned as he parried an attack. “Did I?” Blue electricity sparked and the henchman screamed before he collapsed, limbs twitching. One of the hostages gestured for the others to back up, as much as possible with them still being tied up. “You guys okay? Sorry, I know that was a bit shocking, but my friend will get you all out of here.”  
  
“Shut up and pay attention to our fight, stupid bird”, the woman hissed.  
  
“I am, I’m multitasking!”  
  
“Then get better at it”, she growled, right before one end of her nunchucks lashed against his side with full force. Dick stumbled, gasping for air, and only managed to parry the next attack by a hair’s breadth. She cornered him further, forcing him to back up more with every strike. He was getting dizzy, slower, weaker. Another hit to his side. One to his knee. His legs gave in.  
  
“I’m disappointed”, the woman grinned before her fist crashed into his face. Everything turned black for a second. Then he was on his back, his opponent on top of him, her hands clasping his neck. Dick choked, desperately trying to fight back. “You know, the Joker said he wants to kill you himself but… I’m tempted to disobey his order”, she smiled. “You piss me off, bird.”  
  
He tried to move his legs, to somehow get her off of himself, but she was too strong. Plan B then. Dick fumbled for a small round capsule in one of the pockets of his utility belt and pressed its button. Greenish smoke spilled from the metal ball, engulfing both of them. His opponent coughed, her grip on his neck tightened for a moment, but then she went limp and collapsed on top of him. He shoved her off of himself, hectically taking out his rebreather and pushing it between his lips not a second too early. He gasped for air, immediately regretting it when it sent a flash of sharp pain through his torso. Darkness was creeping into his field of view from the sides, spots of light dancing before his eyes. Everything hurt. Dick dragged himself away from the unconscious henchwoman, out of the smoke, and used the metal container he had crashed onto the platform with before as cover. He leaned his back against the cold metal, eyes closed and breathing heavily. The sounds of Jason and Bruce’s fights with the villains seemed miles away. He needed to focus. How many goons were left? The woman was definitely out with the gas still surrounding her, but he couldn’t be sure about either of the other three. His fight had taken a while so it was possible that the man he had tased with the Wing Ding and the one he had knocked out were back on their feet again. Depending on how resilient the other woman was she could also still be a threat. He couldn’t give in yet. Dick made sure none of the smoke was close to him before he slowly put his rebreather away again.  
  
“Come on”, he muttered and pushed himself back onto his feet. If it weren’t for the container giving him something to hold on to he would have been back on the ground immediately. Everything was spinning, his muscles felt weak, shaking with a weird tingly sensation. Dick ground his teeth. He was not going to pass out here. He took a moment to try and steady his breathing before he dragged himself further along the container until he could glance around its edge. He was relieved to see that at least one of the men he had taken out was still down. There were two hostages left. The remaining henchwoman was kneeling down next to them, still clutching her hand, but seeming determined to fight. The man was a bit further away, reaching for something on the ground. Dick’s eyes widened. The gun. Wally. He ripped a Wing Ding out of his pocket and threw it, but it only hit the goon’s shoulder. His aim had been off.  
  
“Fuck.” For a moment his muscles wouldn’t move, but then he pushed himself away from the container and ran. The adrenaline kicked in, blanking out everything but the henchman. All that mattered was saving Wally and the remaining hostages. The man turned around to him, gun in hand, but Dick was faster. In one swift, practiced move he disarmed him, rammed a Wing Ding into the barrel and threw the gun away. The man attacked him with his bare fists but he didn’t seem very experienced in martial arts. Compared to the woman before avoiding his punches and breaking through his poor defense was a piece of cake. He just had to end this quickly. He roundhouse kicked his opponent in the side and attempted to follow up with a strike to his head, but the henchman managed to block his escrima stick with his arm. Dick quickly disengaged to attack again. He risked a glance at the hostages. Only one remaining. The other henchman was still down. He charged at his enemy, sent him stumbling backwards with a kick to his chest and grabbed his upper arm to yank him towards himself again. The man tried to use it as a chance to land a punch in his abdomen, but Dick nimbly moved past him and snapped handcuffs to one of his wrists. He kicked him in the back of the knee, grabbed his other arm and handcuffed his second wrist as well. With a karate chop to the neck the man slumped down, unconscious.  
  
Dick staggered. Pain crept back into his consciousness, lightheadedness making his surroundings spin and blur. Not yet. He turned around and stumbled towards the other man, who was still out cold on the ground. He let himself fall to his knees next to him and handcuffed him as well. An explosion went off somewhere near them. He barely perceived it. The woman. He still had to take her out. His eyes moved sluggishly, unable to focus. All hostages were gone. They were safe. To his left Bane had crashed into a stack of containers. He seemed to be unconscious, his Venom tube was ripped, the green liquid spilled around him. There were sounds of a fight echoing across the docks from behind him and he could hear Bruce and Jason yelling at each other. Some distance away from him Wally was facing the remaining henchwoman. He was moving strangely, not putting much weight on one of his legs, but she looked worse. Still, Dick didn’t want his best friend to get hurt even more. He had to at least try to help. He forced himself to get up again. The fighting definitely hadn’t helped with his injuries. Every strained breath hurt like hell and the pounding in his skull was so prominent that it almost felt like he was being struck with the crowbar over and over again. He tried to take a step, but his legs gave in immediately and he found himself back on the ground, groaning in pain at the sudden impact. He felt pathetic. Coughing, Dick slowly turned onto his back to relieve some of the pressure on his ribs. So much for helping. He had rarely felt so useless.  
  
“Nightwing!” It took Dick a second to register Jason’s voice and where it came from. A bright red helmet appeared above him. “Man, you look like garbage.”  
  
“Glad to see you too, Little Wing”, Dick rasped, giving him the best smile he could muster at the moment. He noticed a few cuts on his arms and torso, blood staining his clothes. “You okay?”  
  
Jason huffed as he took off his helmet. His hair was messy and a little damp with sweat, the white strands a bright contrast to his otherwise dark hair. “Are you seriously the one who should ask that?” He shook his head with an amused expression. “I’m fine, dumbass.”  
  
“The Joker?”, he probed. He knew if Jason would have had his way the Clown Prince of Crime would be dead now, but judging by the argument he had overheard Dick assumed that Bruce had made sure his former protégé didn’t deal the finishing blow.  
  
“He is too, sadly.” He pointed somewhere behind him with a bitter expression. “Bats is dealing with him now. He sent me to help you instead.”  
  
Dick blinked, surprised at how calm his little brother seemed about the issue. “You… listened to his orders?”  
  
Jason shrugged and he didn’t miss the hint of anger that flashed over his face. So not really calm. He was just suppressing his rage surprisingly well. “No? But he literally tackled me, so…” Disappointment resonated in his voice.  
  
Dick averted his gaze. He understood Jason, as much as possible anyway. The Joker had done horrible things, killed countless people and ruined even more lives. What had happened tonight was just one twisted example of many and he could only imagine how hard it had to be for Jason to be reminded of his past like this. After he had murdered his little brother, Dick had wished for the villain’s death more than just once. But even though he had questioned Bruce’s code many times, in the end he was right. They couldn’t kill. Or they would end up turning into what they were fighting. Even when they felt like some people deserved to die, more death was not the solution.  
  
“Whatever”, Jason continued. “Priority is getting your sorry ass out of here. Bane is down, Bats is having his fun with the clown and your friend there isn’t doing half bad either. Let’s leave the rest to them, okay?”  
  
Dick nodded carefully.  
  
“Alright. Can you walk?” He couldn’t tell if Jason was joking or not.  
  
“What does it look like?”, he snorted.  
  
“Well, I’m not carrying you.”  
  
Dick pouted. “And here I was hoping you’d carry me bridal style.”  
  
“Yeah, no, not happening.” Jason offered him a hand. He let his little brother help him up, hissing at the burning pain it caused. The world immediately started spinning again and there was a pressing feeling in his stomach, like he was about to throw up. He had to hold onto his brother’s shoulder to stay on his feet. “Pussy”, Jason grinned, but the heavy concern behind his mockery was unmistakable. He carefully put Dick’s arm around his shoulders to steady him.  
  
“Mind if I help?” Dick looked up to see Wally limping towards them, a crooked smile on his face.  
  
“Hey, Wall-Man”, he rasped, his relief about his best friend being alive and more or less well probably spelled out on his face.  
  
“No offense, but I think you gotta take care of yourself first”, Jason laughed. “I’ll help this sad sack here, don’t worry. Maybe you can get Bats to carry you when he’s done.”  
  
“Yeeeaah, I think I’ll pass”, Wally grinned. “I can walk, it’s fine.”  
  
Dick glanced back over his shoulder. Bruce was towering above the Joker. Even from here he could sense the boiling rage that the Dark Knight radiated. In situations like this it was probably the hardest for him to stick to his own code. “Shouldn’t we stay and help with the clean-up?”, Dick questioned, hoping he didn’t sound as miserable as he felt. More than cleaning up the mess they had made he wanted to make sure Bruce would be alright.  
  
“Are you kidding me?” Jason gave him a disbelieving look. “You need to go to a hospital, Grayson. I don’t know if you noticed, but you’re bleeding like hell.”  
  
“You seriously need to stop doing…”, Wally struggled for words, “this.”  
  
“He’s a nuisance, right?” Jason rolled his eyes.  
  
“Terrible”, Wally agreed.  
  
“I’m right here”, Dick huffed and shot both of them an irritated look. He probably looked more exhausted and in pain than irritated, only further proving their point.  
  
“Anyway, I think Batman can handle the rest”, Wally noted with an understanding smile. “But I can stay if it makes you feel better?”  
  
“No one’s staying anywhere”, Jason objected, dumbfounded. “Seriously, what is wrong with you guys? Since when am I the voice of reason?”  
  
Dick laughed weakly at this ridiculous statement. He felt horribly sick. His body was getting heavier. Standing up had been a bad idea. “I mean, for once you’re probably right.” His own strained voice sounded strange in his ears. Dull, far away. His eyes fluttered shut.  
  
“Dick?” Jason’s voice barely reached him through the fog in his mind. He said something else, urging, but Dick couldn’t make out any words. He stopped fighting. The darkness he let himself fall into was more than welcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God this one was really fun to write. I like fight scenes.  
> But yeah things got resolved more or less well. For now :)  
> Now watch me struggle with tryna make sense of the Batfam timeline because heckin heck what is anything


	3. Chapter 3

Dick woke up to darkness and the sound of someone snoring. It was pleasantly warm despite the oncoming winter, two thin blankets and a soft pillow under his head providing further heat and comfort. The scent of disinfectant and freshly washed sheets tickled his nose. He blinked sluggishly, eyelids swollen from being closed for too long, and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness around him. His body felt heavy and there were faint remains of pain pulsating in his head. Every breath he took was accompanied by a slight stinging in his rib cage. Dick grimaced, trying to piece together where he was, how he had gotten here and why he felt like shit. Snippets of the past events took shape in his mind and slowly reassembled memories of hostages, Wally, the Joker and Bane, Jason… He noticed an IV line in his left arm. So he had really passed out and ended up in the hospital. Not the highlight of his week. He just hoped that it wasn’t his Little Wing who had carried him, otherwise he was never going to live this down.  
  
As Dick’s eyes finally adjusted to the night, the inky black around him turned into a blueish twilight, illuminated by city lights through the semi-translucent curtains in front of a large window on his left. There was a small couch placed under the window sill with a wooden table in front of it, decorated with some fake flowers in a crystalline vase. And on said couch he could make out the silhouettes of four figures, framed by a faint glow from the window behind them. He couldn’t help the fond smile that spread on his lips at the sight. Wally was sitting slumped against the wall, deep asleep and snoring quietly. His left ankle was wrapped in a cast, crutches carelessly thrown onto the floor in front of him. Next to him Damian had his arms crossed in front of his chest, asleep with his head leaned against Bruce’s shoulder. His father was sitting in almost the same position, both with their ever-present scowls softened ever so slightly in their sleep. Even to Dick their similarities were still striking sometimes. Damian’s dog Titus was sprawled across both their laps and drooling onto his owner’s leg. Dick felt a familiar warmth spreading in his chest as he smiled at some of the most important people in his life. Since he had moved out into his own penthouse in Blüdhaven it had gotten increasingly rare for him to witness peaceful family moments like this. He mostly only met the other Bats during missions. Sure, they hung out from time to time and sometimes spent holidays together, but most of them had been too busy for any of that lately. It had been his own decision to somewhat distance himself from his family by moving to Blüdhaven and in no way did he regret it. Flying solo more and emerging from Batman’s shadow had been an important step for him. But he realized that he missed the old times at the Manor, when he had still been visiting more often, a lot more than he had been caring to admit to himself. Fond memories of time spent with his family slowly sent him drifting back to sleep. Movie nights with his little brothers and sisters, sometimes even with Bruce or Kate. Cookies baked by Alfred, trips to the Arcade with Damian, Tim and Steph. Playing board games and making up their own ridiculously complicated rules to make them more interesting, managing to force Jason to come join them on rare occasions. Learning sign language for Cass and proudly showing off his progress to her. Training together and mocking each other for mistakes, scheming plans and tactics and ideas for new tools. When he got out of here he was going to force everyone into a games night, whether they liked it or not.

When Dick woke up the next morning the hospital room was bathed in the dim gray light of a cloudy day, raindrops softly drumming against the window in a calming rhythm. Wally, Damian and Bruce were already awake, talking in hushed voices to two more familiar faces who had joined the small group by the window. Bruce had traded his place on the dark gray couch with Tim, who was absentmindedly petting Titus’ head, and was now standing next to Alfred by the cream-colored wall instead. The fond smile returned to Dick’s face. He hadn’t really expected so many visitors.  
  
He struggled to sit up a little, causing the group to interrupt their quiet conversation and turn to him with surprised expressions. Dick chuckled. “Hey, guys.” He cringed at his own raspy voice. His throat felt like it hadn’t seen a drop of water in years.  
  
Wally jumped up, almost stepped on Titus’ tail, completely forgot he was supposed to be using crutches and hopped towards his bed on one leg, before he threw himself half on top of him in some form of hug. Dick groaned at the painful embrace, torn between laughing, hugging him back and shoving him onto the floor.  
  
“Wall”, he squeezed out, “ow.”  
  
“Shit, sorry, sorry.” His best friend immediately let go again and sat up next to him, scratching the back of his head with an apologetic smile on his freckled face. His red hair was a mess, the lack of proper sleep looming in faint dark circles around his green eyes. The bruise on his brow had taken on varying shades of purple and yellow. Damian rushed to stand beside Wally, Tim following close behind, his expression a mix of fondness and worry. Titus lazily turned his head to look after them.  
  
“Welcome to the land of the living, Master Dick”, Alfred greeted him warmly from his place by the end of his hospital bed, Bruce next to him with relief spelled out on his face and something that almost resembled a smile.  
  
“Good to have you back”, Tim added softly.  
  
“How are you feeling, Richard?” Dick almost blinked in surprise at Damian acting so openly worried and caring. After overcoming many initial differences they had forged a pretty close relationship, especially during Dick’s time as Batman with him as his Robin. Out of everyone the boy they liked to call Demon Brat affectionately was probably the most like a little brother to him. But even so, Damian almost always kept his composure, never wanting to seem weak or vulnerable.  
  
“Like I got hit by a truck”, Dick grunted, shifting around in an attempt to find a more comfortable position.  
  
“I mean, that’s definitely what you look like”, Wally grinned, earning him a dig with the elbow in his upper arm by Tim, who couldn’t quite hide his amusement about the comment. “You’ve seen better days.”  
  
“You’re one to talk”, Dick pouted and gave his best friend an exaggeratedly judgy look. “You have something on your face there. Looks stupid.”  
  
“It’s called a bruise, you ass”, Wally snorted.  
  
Dick grinned and winked at him provocatively, before turning to Bruce with a more serious expression. “So… How long was I out?”  
  
“Just about a day since the surgery.” Bruce paused and raised an eyebrow at his obvious confusion. “You woke up briefly after the procedure but the doctors said it would be best to keep you here until the symptoms of the concussion get better. You slept through the next day and night.” He hesitated again. “You don’t remember any of it?”  
  
“I had surgery?” Dick groaned in annoyance instead of replying to his question. His mind was blank. The last thing he could remember was Jason’s worried voice before he had passed out.  
  
Bruce nodded, the hint of a smile fading and leaving his face unreadable as ever. “They aligned and stabilized your broken ribs, gave you a blood transfusion and stitched up your laceration. You were lucky to get off so lightly.”  
  
“Short term memory loss is not unusual after a concussion, though”, Alfred added with a reassuring smile. “There is no need to worry about that, Master Dick.”  
  
Dick sighed. Even if it could have been worse, this meant he would probably have to stay in the hospital for at least one or two more days. And even after that he would have to take it easy for a while. This really wasn’t how he had been planning to spend the days of Wally’s visit in Gotham and Blüdhaven. He looked around the room. The rhythm of the rain against the window was too loud, the dim sunlight too bright, making it hard for him to think. Or maybe it was just the fact that his brain had gotten royally fucked up by a hit to the head with a crowbar. “We can talk safely here, right?”, he asked.  
  
“I made sure we were given some privacy and studied the hospital schedules”, Bruce affirmed. “No one should be coming anytime soon. The nurse asked us to notify him if you need anything.“  
  
“Alright, thanks…” He paused for a moment. He had a million questions and no idea where to start. “So… What’s the cover story?” The Bats rarely ended up in the hospital thanks to Alfred having developed some quite impressive skills in treating all kinds of wounds over the years. But when they did they had to come up with some lie about how they had gotten their injuries in order to keep their secret identities safe.  
  
“Car accident”, Bruce explained. “You and Wally were out late together. Lost control when trying to avoid a cat in the street.”  
  
Dick shrugged. “Believable enough. A bit overused, but it’ll do.” He let his eyes lazily wander from Damian over Tim to Alfred. He had trouble concentrating, his mind wanting to drift off to anything but their confrontation with the Joker and Bane. “I’m guessing you all know what actually happened?”  
  
“Bruce informed me and I called the rest of the family to tell them about the unfortunate events”, Alfred confirmed. “Master Damian and Wallace insisted on spending the nights here until you woke up.”  
  
“No, I did not”, Damian grumbled, his cheeks flushing ever so slightly with embarrassment. Dick beamed at his little brother and almost wanted to ruffle his hair, but he didn’t really want to risk a broken hand on top of everything else. But man, Damian was so cute when he behaved like something akin to a normal human being.  
  
“Please stop calling me Wallace”, Wally muttered under his breath.  
  
“What about Jason? Is he still around?” Dick had a feeling what the reply would be but he couldn’t stop himself from asking anyway.  
  
Wally shook his head, seemingly a bit amused. “He refused to get proper treatment. It was a full-on war just to make him let Alfred do the necessary. But he stayed until your surgery was over. He was so worried, he had them assure that you were going to be alright three times before he left. Three times! I’m not joking”, he laughed.  
  
“Aw… I knew Jaybird loves his big bro”, Dick joked with a complacent grin, partially to hide the fact that if he was honest with himself he was a little surprised and pretty touched by the information that Jason did actually seem to care about him that much. He had always been telling himself his little brother just had a hard time expressing affection and opening up to people. He had remained so sure of himself and that he had to be as important to his Little Wing as he was to him. But sometimes it had been hard to believe, even if he wanted to. Jason and his actions could be ridiculously complicated to read. Hearing that he openly cared, in front of family members even, was so reassuring he had to hold himself back from letting a stupid smile spread on his face. All this affection from his little brothers made this whole ordeal much more bearable.  
  
“And the hostages?” Dick felt kind of like an idiot for asking so many questions. The room went silent. Wally averted his gaze. “What?” His heart sank when he looked at Bruce and all traces of his prior bliss vanished.  
  
“One of the victims didn’t make it”, his former mentor said quietly. “The man with the bullet wound. He had already lost too much blood. He died on the way to the hospital.”  
  
Sickness rose in his throat and suddenly the little squares on his blanket were much more interesting than anything else in the room. He felt numb. This was his fault. He had fucked up the one chance to save everyone in time. If he hadn’t lost his head and ruined his own plan the man would still be alive. Dick winced when Wally carefully placed a hand on his arm, but couldn’t really bring himself to look up. His best friend was the one who had carried the man to the ambulance. It was probably just as hard for him to accept that it had been too late. The fact that you couldn’t always save everyone was one of the first things Bruce had taught Dick. And he had lost the lives of civilians before, multiple times. But that never made it easier. Acting so stupidly confident around them to give them hope. Hope that they placed in him to save their lives, to get them out unharmed. To be the hero he was supposed to be. Only for him to fail them in the end. The guilt was overwhelming each and every time.  
  
“You did what you could”, Bruce assured, sympathy resonating in his voice. “We all lost this life. Not just the two of you. And… you were right to make your move when you did. It was my fault for not being there early enough.” At that, Dick finally looked up, surprised to see Bruce averting his gaze. “I’m sorry.” The muttered words almost felt like a punch to his face. Bruce apologized so rarely, let alone admitted that he had misjudged a situation, it should have been a reason to celebrate. But seeing him so obviously moved by the death of a civilian, when he was the one who always had his emotions under control, hidden away behind an unreadable mask, was almost surreal. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even know what to feel.  
  
“It happens…”, Tim mumbled in a clumsy attempt to relieve some of the tension in the room. “That’s part of the job, right? And you did save Wally and the other four hostages. Not that it makes this loss less tragic, but you know…” He trailed off, fumbling with his sleeve as he struggled for the right words.  
  
Bruce cleared his throat, straightened himself and the inscrutable facade was back as if it had never crumbled. “Anyway”, he changed the topic abruptly. “I think we should all be careful. The Joker and Bane obviously knew of your friendship with Wally, Dick. We can’t be sure what else they know.”  
  
Dick nodded thoughtfully, deciding to write off Bruce’s uncharacteristic behavior as a sign that he desperately needed a vacation. He was only human after all, even Dick sometimes forgot that. And right now they had to focus on the current situation. Which was worrying, to say the least. Had the Joker and Bane found out his secret identity? And if yes, did they know Batman’s as well? Or that of another member of their family? He gnawed on his lip. “But they’re in Arkham now, right?”  
  
“Yes.” Bruce paused for a moment. “In fact, I want you to come there with me to question them once you’re discharged.”  
  
“Gladly”, Dick huffed. “I have quite a few things I’d like to talk to them about.” His tongue was starting to feel heavy, words coming out slurred despite his best efforts to speak clearly. Had talking always been this exhausting?  
  
From the corner of his eye he could see Tim raising an eyebrow, concern written all over his face. “Is this a good idea? You should take your time to recover, Dick.”  
  
“This may be a rare occasion, but Drake is correct”, Damian agreed, making Tim blink at him in surprise.  
  
“I am?”  
  
Damian ignored him and crossed his arms with a scowl that not even his father could compete with. “Getting discharged from the hospital does not imply you should amuse yourself in Arkham the second you are out of this building.” He shot Bruce an accusatory look. “You should know that, father.”  
  
Dick opened his mouth to reply, but Bruce cut him off. “Look, Damian, he’s safe with me.” He sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. “And there’s more important things to discuss right now. Wally, we need to decide what to do with you. Until we can be sure this is all over you shouldn’t stay at the hotel alone. Same goes for you, Dick. When you’re discharged, I don’t want you returning to Blüdhaven before we know it’s safe.”  
  
“They can stay at the Manor, right?”, Tim proposed.  
  
“That’s what I was suggesting”, Bruce agreed. “There’s more than enough room.”  
  
“The Manor?” If Wally was trying to hide his excitement, he was incredibly bad at it. “Like, Wayne Manor? For real?” Dick grinned at his best friend. This was going to be great.  
  
“Yes, Wallace”, Alfred smiled, “for real.”

Bruce left soon after, dragging a protesting Damian with him, Titus following like the good boy he was. Alfred took Wally to his hotel to pick up his belongings and bring them to the Manor so that he could make himself at home right away and didn’t have to spend more nights in the hospital. Tim stayed a bit longer to chat about this and that and gave Dick a SciFi book he had brought, to make his stay a bit less boring. But around noon he also excused himself to return to the Titans Tower.  
  
With his family and best friend gone Dick didn’t really know what to do with his time. He hated being in the hospital. He tried to read Tim’s book, but focusing on the words was impossible and as soon as he had finished one sentence he had forgotten the previous one. It didn’t take long for him to give up and start blankly staring at the ceiling, slowly drifting off to sleep again. He got woken up again for lunch, which was pretty good for hospital food. Had to be the Wayne treatment. In the afternoon a nurse came by to check on him and to explain that he would be getting various kinds of therapy until his discharge to make sure he would recover quickly and that there wouldn’t be any permanent damage from the concussion. Well, at least he’d have something to do then. Dick spent the rest of the day sleeping, staring at the ceiling and with some more frustrating attempts at reading. It had only been a day but he felt like he was going insane. He couldn’t wait to get out of here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you were able to celebrate well and that 2021 will be a better year for all of us.  
> Always keep in mind that you're insanely strong for making it through this awful year. I believe we can all be very proud of ourselves for that <3
> 
> A bit of a calmer chapter this time. Having all these idiots in the same room is so fun to write.  
> As always, I hope you like it and thank you so much for reading ^^


	4. Chapter 4

Much to Dick’s relief they only kept him in the hospital for two more days, before discharging him with some medication prescriptions and exercises to help his brain recover from the concussion. Tim and Steph came by to visit again once and Babs called from South Africa, where she was in physical rehabilitation after successful neural implant surgery to cure her paralysis. Bruce, Damian and Wally checked up on him again as well. Dick was glad to hear that his best friend had settled in at Wayne Manor and was even getting along with Damian surprisingly well, aside from some complaints about the younger boy calling him West instead of his first name. Cass gave him a video call from Hong Kong and Kate and her girlfriend visited as well to chat a bit and to bring him some chocolate. If there was an upside to fucking up a mission and getting beat up by the Joker it was that thanks to the hospital stay he finally got to see most of his family members again.  
  
On the day of his discharge Alfred came to pick him up around noon, refusing to let Dick drive himself. Which was probably for the better. The rest and therapy he had gotten had definitely helped, but he still got dizzy and had trouble concentrating at times. Driving a car probably wasn’t the best idea yet. Alfred took him to his penthouse in Blüdhaven and helped him to pack up everything he would need for his stay at the Manor. Even though he was hiding it fairly well the butler seemed a little on edge the entire time and Dick couldn’t blame him. He didn’t feel comfortable either, the idea that the Joker and Bane might know his secret identity constantly in the back of his mind, making him nervous and paranoid even though the villains were locked away in Arkham. When they arrived at Wayne Manor in the afternoon he was somewhat relieved to know he wouldn’t be alone for the next few days.  
  
It was Damian who opened the huge, elegantly carved ebony doors for them. The boy’s eyes lit up at the sight of Dick and he could have sworn his little brother was about to open his arms for a hug, before he quickly changed his mind and offered him a handshake instead.  
  
“Welcome home, Grayson”, he greeted him with the hint of a smile. “Pennyworth.” He gave the butler a nod.  
  
Dick ignored that Damian was trying to act all serious and just pulled him into a hug anyway. “Hey, Dami.” He grinned at his little brother’s weak attempts at fighting his embrace. “Good to be back.” The boy finally gave up and reluctantly hugged him back.  
  
“Dick!”, Wally yelled from somewhere inside. He heard hurried steps, much faster than the average human being, then his best friend appeared behind Damian in a flash of colors with a wide grin on his lips and threw himself into the hug as well. Looked like his sprained ankle was all healed up already and the bruise on his brow was gone too. Sometimes Dick really envied him for his accelerated healing. Okay, all the time.  
  
“Let go, you idiots, I’m suffocating”, Damian protested.  
  
Wally laughed at him, but after a few seconds he complied and stepped back. “He loves me”, he grinned confidently, pointing at the younger boy with his thumb.  
  
“Sure”, Dick chuckled.  
  
His little brother rolled his eyes. “Are you going to come inside or would you rather stand at the doorway all day?” He stepped aside to invite Dick and Alfred in.  
  
Entering Wayne Manor again after such a long time felt like coming home. Everything was still the way he remembered it. The polished marble tiles in the entrance hall, the pompous stairway leading to the second story of the huge building, guarded by two big stone statues. The faint smell of wood from the beautifully hewn pillars and wall panels. Everything bathed in the warm light from a dazzling chandelier and elaborately decorated wall lamps.  
  
“Man, I haven’t been here in so long”, Dick smiled as he entered his second childhood home after the circus, pulling a big suitcase behind him. Alfred followed with another suitcase and a large bag that he had insisted on carrying for him. “I’m guessing Bruce is working?”  
  
“Yes, father will return in the evening. He said you can use your old room, as usual. West is staying in the room next to yours.”  
  
“Make yourself at home, Master Dick.” Alfred gently placed a hand on his shoulder to hold him back from carrying his suitcase upstairs to the room the family was always keeping prepared for when he needed a place to stay in Gotham. “I will bring your belongings to your room and arrange everything for you.”  
  
Dick tried to convince the butler to let him help, but the older man wasn’t having any of it, sternly reminding him that the doctors had told him to still hold out on any kind of physical exercise for a few days. Winning an argument with Alfred was impossible, so Dick reluctantly gave in and let him take care of his suitcases and bags. He retreated to the living room with Wally and Damian instead, plopped down onto one of the soft leather sofas in front of the quietly crackling fireplace and let them update him on what had happened the past few days. Which wasn’t much. No signs of anyone following them, nothing unusual during patrol. By Gotham standards everything had been quite peaceful. Maybe he was really just being paranoid. The villains were in Arkham after all. How were they supposed to harm them from there, even if they did know their secret identities?  
  
“Hey, how about we invite Jason, Tim and Steph over tomorrow night?”, Dick proposed. “After Bruce and I had our chat with Joker and Bane and can hopefully be sure that it’s all over. We can have like… a sleepover.”  
  
“Absolutely not”, Damian frowned and crossed his arms.  
  
Dick gave his little brother his best pout. “Please? We haven’t spent time together in ages and who knows how long Wally and I will stay?”  
  
“We see each other during missions regularly enough.”  
  
“Come on, Dami, you know that’s not the same”, he whined.  
  
“I vote yes”, Wally joined the discussion with a bright smile. “We should use this situation to make the best of it. I mean we’re kinda stuck in here anyway for now.”  
  
The youngest raised an eyebrow. “I am not.” Then he sighed in defeat. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”  
  
“Nope”, Dick grinned.  
  
“And I’m supposed to be the child”, Damian snorted. “Well, if we have to do this, I demand we play a round of Smash Bros during your preposterous sleepover. I will destroy you all.”  
  
“Pff you can try. Ask Dick, I’m the god of Smash Bros”, Wally bragged and glanced at Dick to seek his approval.  
  
He rolled his eyes with an amused smile. “Yeah, yeah, he is. I never stand a chance against him. Which is kind of unfair. I mean come on man, you have superhuman reflexes.”  
  
“Advantage or not, be prepared to meet your doom, West”, Damian boasted. “I am the only god of Smash Bros there is.”  
  
With a chuckle Dick left his little brother and best friend to their bickering so he wouldn’t have to hear the words “god of Smash Bros” again and joined Alfred in the kitchen to help him prepare dinner. The occasional laughs echoing through the halls from the living room were like music to his ears. He had really missed being surrounded by his friends and family. Up until now he hadn’t realized, or maybe just hadn’t wanted to admit to himself, that living alone in a different city wasn’t really for him. It was nice to be responsible for himself and to have his freedom of course, but he had been somewhat lonely in Blüdhaven. And even if he still didn’t agree with Bruce on everything, he missed patrolling the streets of Gotham with him regularly. Or just spending time with him in general, if he was honest. Dick still felt bad for leaving on kind of bad terms and never really clearing things up. Maybe he could use this chance to finally do that.  
  
“I must say, I quite enjoy it being so lively here”, Alfred smiled as he handed him some spices for the potatoes he was preparing. “Reminds me of the old times. And I think it’s good for Master Damian to have some company closer to his own age than Master Bruce and my humble self.”  
  
“Yeah, I guess so”, Dick chuckled. He absentmindedly seasoned the potato slices and gave the butler the griddle so he could slide it into the oven. He leaned against the counter with a sigh. “I really missed you all… Sorry I didn’t visit much recently.”  
  
“Don’t worry about that, Master Dick.” Alfred gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. “You’re a busy man and so is Master Bruce. You have your own life to live and I believe you made the right choice by moving to Blüdhaven back then. But I must say, it is good to have you around again, even if the circumstances are unfortunate. I hope you are aware that you’re always more than welcome here.”  
  
“I know.” Dick smiled gratefully at the world’s best butler. “Thanks, Alfred. You know, for everything.”

By the time dinner was ready Bruce had arrived as well and had warmly welcomed Dick back home. He seemed more relaxed than the past days, closer to his normal self again. He even smiled at some of their bad jokes while they were eating dinner. Dick decided that talking about their unresolved issues could wait until the next day. He didn’t want to ruin Bruce’s good mood.  
  
Later in the evening Bruce and Damian went out on patrol, leaving Dick and Wally alone with Alfred in the huge Manor. While the butler walked Titus, Dick gave Wally a tour of the Batcave, proudly showing him all the old costumes, equipment and souvenirs. Understandably, his best friend was amazed by the fact that Bruce shared his enthusiasm for keeping all kinds of things from missions and spent a good ten minutes gaping at the T-Rex from their very bizarre adventure on Dinosaur Island and the giant Lincoln penny from their encounter with the Penny Plunderer. Wally wanted to hear stories of how they had gotten some of the more peculiar items in the cave and Dick couldn’t deny that the trip down memory lane gave him itchy feet. Even though he loved hanging out with his best friend and it had only been a few days since the Joker and Bane incident he kind of missed being out at night already, jumping from rooftop to rooftop and doing some good for the citizens of Blüdhaven or Gotham. He knew Wally sometimes still missed the life as well, so he didn’t mention it to him. Instead he picked out some cheesy action movie for them to watch once they were back from the Batcave, while his best friend was in the kitchen to microwave them some popcorn. He returned with not only two bowls of popcorn but also two bowls of chips, a bag of pretzel sticks and a few chocolate bars, all balanced in a dangerously shaky tower against his chest.  
  
“Alfred gave me some more stuff”, he grinned. “Man, your snacks cupboard is heaven.”  
  
“I know, right? And its existence is kinda my fault”, Dick laughed and rushed to help Wally to put everything on the mahogany coffee table to avert a catastrophe. “Back then I convinced Bruce and Alfred that I needed the energy to be able to fight crime efficiently. Well, in hindsight I probably just annoyed them with it long enough.”  
  
“I mean, it worked, so… Being annoying is always a good strategy”, Wally chuckled.  
  
They got comfortable on the couch, Titus coming in soon after and curling up at their feet, and enjoyed a calm, normal evening with snacks, bad jokes and a movie that was so over-the-top it was good again. Dick forgot his longing for a mission pretty quickly. Maybe some sort of vacation like this was just what he had needed, even if only for a few days. For the first time since the fight with the Joker and Bane he felt completely at ease again. He allowed himself to believe that everything would work out just fine. He’d hang out with his friends and family for a few days and then go back to Blüdhaven and everything would return to normal.  
  
If only things were ever that easy.

Arkham Asylum always seemed a little darker than the rest of Gotham, as if the sinister minds of the criminals it harbored had infected the vicinity, crawled into the bricks and tiles of the building like a parasite. Dick had never liked coming here and when Bruce parked the Batmobile in front of the metal gates of the psychiatry he found that hadn’t changed much. There was something unnerving about this place that always made his skin crawl.  
  
They were welcomed by two guards and asked to leave any weapons at the reception, before they were led through the eerie corridors and stairwells to the interrogation cell. It was isolated, at the end of a corridor without windows, only illuminated by the cold, sterile glow of a few ceiling lights.  
  
“We’ll wait outside. You have ten minutes”, one of the guards informed them as he unlocked the metal door.  
  
Bruce nodded, the door opened and they stepped inside. Dick clenched his teeth at the sight of the man who had murdered his little brother and paralyzed his ex-girlfriend. The Joker was handcuffed to the table, a bright smile spreading on his face at the sight of Batman and Nightwing. He looked so content, as if everything was just the way he wanted it to be, and Dick felt the urge to beat that creepy smile out of his face.  
  
“Finally.” The villain sat up a bit and gestured towards the two chairs on the other side of the table, as the door closed behind them. “Be my guests!”  
  
They didn’t move.  
  
“Or if you’d rather stand.” The Joker shrugged. “I was waiting for you to come visit. Birdboy, you look good! Shame you’re alive, though. Death would’ve suited you well.” From the corner of his eye Dick could see Bruce clenching his fist. The villain grinned. “That seems to run in the family.”  
  
His former mentor took a step towards the table and even with his mask hiding his face the barely suppressed rage in his expression was unmistakable. “Tell us what you know”, he grumbled.  
  
“Specify”, Joker smiled provocatively. “Please.”  
  
“You know what this is about. Now talk.” Bruce leaned in closer and anyone who was even remotely sane would have shrunken in fear. But the Joker was the furthest thing from sane and his grin only grew wider.  
  
“Oh, I know many more of your little secrets than you think. And well, concerning your biggest one… I’ve known that one for a very long time, Batsy. Or should I say Bruce?” Dick froze. The Joker shifted his stare towards him. “And Richard. But you prefer Dick, right?”  
  
He couldn’t move. His mind began racing with a million questions and fears and thoughts and he understood none of them. He had always been careful not to leave any traces that could link to his secret identity. And for all he knew Bruce had been twice as cautious. But if the Joker knew who they were, not only their own lives but those of everyone they knew were in danger.  
  
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anybody”, the villain continued with a giggle. “If everyone knew, that would be your downfall. And then who am I gonna have fun with?”  
  
“What are you trying to prove with this?” Bruce seemed strangely unphased by Joker’s reveal.  
  
“You know that”, he chuckled. “You know what this has always been about. I will break you, Batsy.” The villain seemed to savor every word. “And I will get you to accept that you’re just as much of a monster as me, my friend.”  
  
“I’m not like you”, Bruce huffed. “And I never will be. No matter what you do. You have to finally accept that, Joker. This leads to nothing.”  
  
“Are you sure you’re not the one who’s lying to himself? You’re scared of what you’ll become, that’s why you have that silly code of yours.” The Joker leaned closer towards him. “Has it ever come to mind that if you would’ve accepted your true nature your dear boy Jason wouldn’t have died? Or that Miss Gordon would still be able to walk? Or that Birdboy wouldn’t have had his head bashed in?” Dick contorted his face and the villain giggled. “Face it, Batsy. Your ridiculous code is putting everyone you care about in danger. You just have to put a bullet through my head. You could have saved them, but you’re a selfish-” Bruce grabbed him by the collar and his fist crashed into his face. The villain laughed, blood dripping from his nose and onto the white table. Dick pulled himself together and took a step forward.  
  
“Batman. Don’t”, he said carefully. He was beginning to think that part of the reason why Bruce had asked him to come along was to ensure that his former mentor didn’t do anything he would regret.  
  
Bruce let the Joker slump back into his chair. “Why now? If you knew for so long, why did you never use that against me?”  
  
“Because Bruce Wayne doesn’t interest me.” The Joker shrugged, ignoring the blood that was running over his lips and down his chin, his smile ever-present. “This dance is with you, Batman, not with him. We both know he’s the mask. This." He pointed at his cowl. "This is the real you. The you I want to break”, he grinned. “Well, I did use Bruce Wayne as a dirty little trick to find out more about your lovely family over the years, though. Curiosity kills the bat, am I right?”  
  
“What did you do?”  
  
“Come on, if I just told you that would be boring.” The Joker leaned back in his chair. “Let’s make this a fun game. We’ll see who has the last laugh.”  
  
Bruce was about to move forward again, but Dick placed a hand on his shoulder to hold him back. The villain wanted Batman to lose it. And with everything he had done it was more than understandable for Bruce to start falling for it. He himself knew that feeling all too well and he could only imagine how much harder it had to be for his former mentor to keep himself together. But Dick wouldn’t let the Joker win. Usually he wouldn’t mind him getting a beating but right now that would only prove his point. He wouldn’t get what he wanted.  
  
“Aw, you’re boring Birdboy”, the villain sulked. “Let the man have his revenge.”  
  
“No”, Bruce mumbled and Dick could sense some of the tension leaving his body. “He’s right. You’re not worth it.”  
  
“I’m insulted.”  
  
Dick didn’t move at the sound of the door opening behind them.  
  
“Time’s up”, the guard said. “If you’ll follow us, we’ll bring you to the next one.”  
  
“You can’t win, Joker.” Dick shot the villain a last warning look, before he followed Bruce out of the room. “Whatever your plan is, you won’t succeed.”  
  
“Sure, birdie”, the Joker smiled, wiping the blood off his chin. “Tell the family I said hi.”

During Bane’s interrogation Bruce seemed somewhat absentminded and left most of the asking to Dick. He understood that his former mentor needed time to process the news, but he couldn’t help but feel like he wasn’t behaving like himself again. He usually didn’t lose his head, no matter how dire the situation. Dick knew he could no longer pretend that Bruce just needed a break. There was something more going on. He really needed to talk to him about everything.  
  
The interrogation only gave them about the same cryptic results as Joker’s. The villains knew their secret identities and they had set something in motion, something that most likely concerned all of their family members. And even with them locked up in Arkham, the family was in danger. Dick still couldn’t wrap his head around Bane working together with the Joker, though. After all, even though they were both criminals, Bane still had some sense of honor and he couldn’t imagine them getting along well. When he asked the villain about the matter all he said was that it was necessary to reach their shared goal. In the end, the visit in Arkham only left them with more questions. All they knew was that it wasn’t over. And if the trap for him had only been the start, a grand opening for the Joker and Bane’s plan, Dick didn’t really want to know what else was to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm emerging from writing my bachelor thesis to post another chapter ^^  
> To summarize it: Well fuck. Things will only get worse for the family :')  
> But also SLEEPOVER YAY


	5. Chapter 5

The first few minutes of the drive back to the Manor went by quietly. Bruce wore an even grimmer expression than usual and Dick wasn’t sure how to address any of the issues, still trying to process everything himself. Their secret identities were known by two of the most dangerous criminals around Gotham, they had some big plan for a shared goal that would most likely put their whole family in danger and apparently didn’t require the villains themselves to be outside of Arkham, and judging by what the Joker had said that goal seemed to have something to do with mentally breaking Batman for good. And to top it all off Bruce was not behaving like himself at all. Maybe the criminals were already closer to their goal than they knew.  
  
Dick sighed. Someone had to start talking and he knew it wasn’t going to be his former mentor. “So…”, he reluctantly began, “this sucks, huh?” He laughed bleakly. “What do we do now?”  
  
“Increase security”, Bruce mumbled.  
  
“That’s all?” Dick raised an eyebrow. “They know our secret identities. I don’t think simply being a bit more careful and going on with our lives will cut it.”  
  
“I'll inform everyone and we’ll have a meeting tomorrow. We need to be on alert, but we have too little information right now. We can’t just hide in a bunker because something might happen.” Bruce kept his eyes fixed on the road.  
  
“That’s not what I meant…” Dick breathed out slowly. “Well, a meeting sounds good. I know we don’t have much to work with, but we should probably investigate further. Everyone we know could be in danger… We need to figure out how much they know and what their plan is.”  
  
“Yeah.” Bruce gave him an absentminded nod. “I’ll do some digging.”  
  
“You? Bruce, this is not just a you thing.” There it was again. That obsession with doing things on his own and not letting anyone in on anything. Dick didn’t want to turn this conversation into an argument but he couldn’t help but suspect there was something Bruce wasn’t telling him. “And come to think of it, you… didn’t really seem surprised that the Joker knows our secret identities.”  
  
He didn’t miss that Bruce glanced over at him for a split second before focusing on the road again. “I had a feeling.”  
  
He furrowed his brow. “You knew?”  
  
“I didn’t know. I suspected it, but the Joker never acted on it.”  
  
Dick huffed in disbelief. Still, after all this time. Bruce still didn’t trust him. Or any of the other family members. He wasn’t sure if he was hurt or just really damn angry. Something inside him snapped. “You know, this is exactly one of the reasons why I left. But I really thought something would have changed by now.”  
  
“I couldn’t be sure-”  
  
“We’re a family! I don’t care what your reasoning is, you should have told us! Do you think we’re just… dumb kids, who can’t handle the potential of a threat like that? We’ve all been through hell with you!”  
  
“And that’s exactly why I have to protect you!” Now Bruce was raising his voice too. “You especially like to just rush into situations without thinking. I’d say the last incident proves that pretty well.”  
  
“Oh great, so it’s my fault now?”  
  
“That’s not- Dick, if I would have told you, I know you would have tried to do something about it, or to find out more. You would have needlessly put yourself in danger and it would have been my fault for telling you something I wasn’t even certain about!”  
  
“Do you even hear yourself? You make it sound like I’m some kind of helpless idiot! I thought after all this time you would finally get that I can take care of myself. I don’t need you trying to control everything I do. You’re not my father, okay?” As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted saying them. Even to himself they felt like a punch to the gut. And they were far from the truth. He dropped his gaze to his shoes, the low humming of the car unpleasantly cutting through the heavy silence that followed. Dick couldn’t bring himself to look at Bruce. “Sorry, I… overreacted. It’s just…” He trailed off, unable to find the right words.  
  
“No, I get it.” Bruce’s voice was low and despite his uncanny ability to hide any emotions he sounded hurt. Like something inside him had broken. Or had maybe always been broken.  
  
“Bruce…”  
  
“No, you’re right.” Dick reluctantly glanced at his former mentor. His expression was unreadable, but somehow he looked vulnerable. And very, very tired. For a moment it was uncomfortably quiet, before Bruce quietly continued to speak. “I know we didn’t part on the best terms back then. We have a lot to talk about. But there’s some things I need to figure out by myself. Please don’t interfere in something that’s none of your business.”  
  
He wanted to tell Bruce that he needed to stop pushing everyone away. That he and the other family members would help him with whatever it was that he was dealing with. That he wasn’t alone. But his lips wouldn’t move and the words remained unspoken. Nothing he could say would make this situation any better. Instead, Dick sat quietly, eventually proceeding to stare out of the tinted window at nothing, and wondered if they would ever be able to talk about their issues without getting angry at each other. And if Bruce would ever actually let anyone through the walls he had built to hide behind.

They didn’t speak until they pulled up in the cave. Bruce left to change into his civilian clothes without a word and Dick stayed behind, unhappily staring at the mechanical T-Rex like it was going to give him a solution to this mess. After a while he finally gave himself a push to change his clothes as well and get back up to the Manor. The others would start worrying if he spent the rest of the day brooding down here.  
  
When he arrived upstairs he decided to look for Damian and Wally first. For once he didn’t really feel like talking to anyone, but knowing Bruce he probably hadn’t spoken to the two about their visit at Arkham Asylum properly yet and they had a right to know the most important information before the family meeting tomorrow. The first person he ran into was Alfred, however, who was busy dusting the living room. The butler paused in his movement and looked up at the sound of Dick’s footsteps.  
  
“Oh, Master Dick!” A gentle smile spread on his face. “I was wondering when you would arrive.” He fell quiet for a second and the smile faltered a bit. “Master Bruce told me about the dreadful news. I suppose we have to be a lot more careful now, don’t we?” Alfred laughed silently, but it didn’t sound very cheerful.  
  
“Yeah…“ Dick shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and dropped his gaze to the polished hardwood floor at his feet. Knowing that the butler was in danger as well was one of the worse things about this.  
  
Alfred seemed to study him for a moment before he spoke up again. “I couldn’t help but notice that Master Bruce appeared to be troubled by something else. It’s unlike him to be so fazed even by an issue as large as this. Did something happen?”  
  
Dick sighed. He really didn’t want to talk about it but he wasn’t going to lie to Alfred. “I don’t know, he… We fought. About everything, kinda.” He didn’t look up. Man, today involved a lot of avoiding eye-contact. “I’m worried about him, Alfred. I feel like he’s struggling with something but he won’t let me help. Or anyone, for that matter.”  
  
From the corner of his eye he saw the butler putting down the duster on the table and walking over towards him, but Dick still couldn’t bring himself to stop acting like the parquet at his feet was the most interesting thing he had ever seen. It felt like this whole situation was his fault. Like he had messed up one too many times and now had to watch everything fall apart.  
  
“I will talk to Master Bruce.” Alfred gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Maybe I can get him to open up a little, yes?”  
  
Dick just nodded. Not knowing what to say also seemed to be a reoccurring quality of this day. He wanted to blame it on the still lingering aftereffects of the concussion.  
  
“And if you need someone to talk to, I will gladly be all ears for you as well.” From his voice alone Dick could picture the sympathetic smile on the butler’s face without having to actually look at him. “I know this can’t be easy for you either. But please do not think for even a second that you are responsible for anything that is happening.” He felt the corners of his frown tightening. Alfred had always been good at seeing right through him. Then again, Dick sucked at hiding his feelings. He didn’t even want to imagine how miserable he had to look right now.  
  
“Thank you”, he replied quietly and forced some sort of a smile. Which was kind of nonsensical, given he directed it at the floor instead of the man in front of him. “I’ll be fine. I just need some time to think.” He felt bad for doing essentially the same thing he was angry with Bruce for. Alfred meant well, he always did, but he really needed time to sort his thoughts and he didn’t want to bother the butler with having to listen to his self-loathing on top of everything else that was going on.  
  
“Of course. But, well, when you’re done thinking I’ll be here to listen.” Alfred gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before removing his hand and turning away to give him some space and gather up the duster again.  
  
“The world doesn’t deserve you, you know that?”, Dick mumbled and finally looked up to be met with a gentle smile full of understanding.  
  
“I know, Master Dick”, Alfred chuckled jokingly. Dick couldn’t help but smile in amusement and this time it felt genuine. If there was one thing that probably everyone in the family could agree on it was that this household of masked vigilantes would be utterly fucked without the butler to hold everything together. Somehow he always managed to make people feel better just with his presence alone. Dick couldn’t say he was feeling great but the weight of all his guilt and doubts didn’t seem as crushing anymore.  
  
“Well, uh, I was looking for Wally and Dami, actually”, he changed the topic after a moment of silence. “Any idea where they are?”  
  
“They went to the training room a while ago”, Alfred replied while dusting off the top of a shelf. “Both had too much energy, I suppose.”  
  
Dick raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Damian, voluntarily training with someone else? And apparently for more than five minutes, which meant he had either killed Wally or was actually enjoying spending time with him? Now that sure was something new. He excused himself to go look for them and left the butler to his work, curiosity about that bond that seemed to be forming between his best friend and his little brother starting to push the feelings of helplessness and guilt the fight with Bruce had left him with further away.  
  
When he arrived at the training room he was met by laughter, loudly audible even in the corridor leading up to the heavy double doors that closed off the large room full of sports equipment. Dick hesitated, hand hovering over the doorknob. They seemed to be having a great time. He could hear their voices, too muffled to make out any words but seemingly carrying out a lighthearted conversation. There were sounds of movement, of Wally’s much-faster-than-average steps, laughter again. Dick slowly lowered his hand. He didn’t want to intrude. Either Bruce had already informed them and they had decided to just make the best of it, or they didn’t it know yet. The latter was much more likely and he wasn’t sure what was more selfish of him - not wanting to be the bearer of horrible news or the fact that, subconsciously, he knew he hadn’t come down here because he wanted to give them information, but because he just wanted someone to talk to about anything but their current problems. Now he didn’t feel like doing either. With everything that had happened and was still going to happen, they deserved some down-time. They would still get all the information soon enough, at the latest tomorrow, though he was sure they were going to ask about how the interrogation had gone later anyway. And he doubted that they were in danger here at the Manor. The enemy had to be really damn stupid if they were to attack them this directly.  
  
With a sigh Dick turned away and after another unsure glance at the metal doors he found himself walking back upstairs and telling Alfred he needed to rest a bit because of his concussion, before he continued to his room. As soon as he had closed the door behind him he let himself fall onto his bed with a groan, muffled by the soft pillow his face was pressed into. He tried to ignore the sharp twinge from his still healing ribs. Dick rolled onto his back and began to blankly stare at the ceiling, feeling strange and irritated and lost. Why was everything getting so out of hand? He wondered if things would have gone differently if he hadn’t messed up that night. He could have saved that man. No matter what everyone said, the loss of that life had been his fault. And maybe it would have made a change for Bruce, too. If Dick had been more careful, if he wouldn’t have made him relive something so traumatic, maybe he wouldn’t be doing so bad. And maybe then it would have been easier for them to talk to each other now. For a while he kept just lying there and staring at the ceiling, his mind running in circles without giving him as much as a fraction of a solution, too busy with blaming himself for everything that had gone wrong.

Dick wasn’t even sure when he had pulled out his phone from the pocket of his jeans. Or when he had typed in the number that was now glowing brightly on the screen, his thumb hovering over the call button. This was stupid. He pressed it anyway.  
  
The phone rang. And rang. And kept ringing. Just when Dick was convinced nobody was going to pick up the ringing stopped. There was shuffling at the other end of the line.  
  
“Golden Boy.” Jason sounded surprised. “This is… rare? To what do I owe the honor? The fun new bullshit we got dragged into?”  
  
“Hey, Little Wing.” Dick wanted to punch himself. Why had he decided to call Jason of all people? He could have just talked to Alfred or rang up Babs. Jason wasn’t exactly the “talk about your feelings” type and Bruce had clearly already notified him about the situation. His little brother was the last person who needed to hear about his self-pity. “I just wanted to check up on you.” That was half true, at least. “You know, ‘cause you got hurt during the fight with Joker. And well, yeah, because of, you know…“ God he was bad at this. He never had any problems talking to people, it was almost like second nature to him to easily wrap anyone around his finger. But when it came to his family his eloquence and confidence tended to fail miserably. Probably because they actually knew him. He couldn’t fool them with his charm and smiles.  
  
Jason let out an amused grunt. “I’m fine, dumbass. It was just a few cuts. Had worse.” He paused for a moment. “I’m more pissed that Joker got away. Again. Otherwise we’d have one problem less now.”  
  
“Yeah, well… “ Dick couldn’t believe he almost wanted to agree with his little brother. But if they hadn’t let the Joker live… No. Killing was out of the question. They couldn’t. That wasn’t justice.  
  
“Did you just… Are you sick or something? Did the concussion fuck up your brain more than we thought?” There was genuine concern in Jason’s voice even though he was masking it with jokes, like he always did. Hiding feelings really did run in the family.  
  
Dick sighed and pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping one arm around them. “Nah, it’s fine. I’m fine. I think.”  
  
“Dick, if you called to have a heart to heart or some shit…” He rested his chin on his knees with a frown, ready to be rejected. His little brother had all right to do so. “Jesus Christ, just spill. You don’t have to beat around the bush.”  
  
He opened his mouth, too baffled to come up with anything but a very intelligent sounding “oh” as a reply.  
  
“Seriously? What, did you think I was just gonna hang up on you?”, Jason gasped in mock offense. “I’m not that much of an asshole, you know.”  
  
“I know, I know.” He stayed in his position, half leaned against the wall, eyes unfocused, and let out a breath he hadn’t noticed he’d been holding. “Sorry.” Suddenly he didn’t really know what to say. He had called Jason just because he wanted to talk to someone about something, anything but all the things that had gone wrong. But now his thoughts just started spiraling down into a grim darkness again. “What are you doing today?” Such a dumb, mundane question, but it was the only one he could come up with at the moment.  
  
“Uh…“ Jason seemed taken aback for a second. “So far? Not much, honestly. I got up late, read a bit. Kind of a slow day, I don’t know.”  
  
“Huh. Sounds good… “ Silence again. This was awkward. He shouldn’t have called.  
  
“Look, man”, his little brother began reluctantly. “You sound like you’re having a hard time or something. And I get that. Trust me, I’m not happy with this either. But it’ll work out somehow, alright?”  
  
“I don’t know… I really fucked up this time.” Someone was dead because of him. Even though everyone was denying it, it was his fault. If he wouldn’t have ruined it… And instead of helping Bruce he had made him feel even worse.  
  
Jason sighed. “Okay, this clearly isn’t just about the Joker and Bane thing. You’re not the type to get all depressed because of something like that. Right? What happened?”  
  
“I don’t wanna talk about it.”  
  
“Yes you do. You literally called me.” Dick opened his mouth to reply, but Jason cut him off. “And don’t you dare say that’s not the reason why you called. I know you. You gotta talk about this or it’s gonna eat you up. So. I’m here, you can let it all out.”  
  
“Fine, okay. You’re right.” He wasn’t sure why he was getting irritated with Jason. It wasn’t fair. He was just trying to help. Dick sighed. “Sorry”, he said for what felt like the hundredth time that day. He exhaled, trying to sort his thoughts. His little brother waited patiently for him to continue. “There’s just… so much going on. So much going wrong. An innocent man died, our secret identities aren’t exactly secret anymore, Bruce and I fought and I think he isn’t doing well, but he won’t talk to me. And the majority of that is my fault. I just don’t know what to do, Jay. I have no idea how to fix any of this.”  
  
“Oh, wow.” Jason laughed awkwardly. “Look, I really don’t think any of this is your fault. I mean, not to be the token pessimist here, but I think that man would have died anyway. The thing with Joker and Bane is probably Bruce’s fault, let’s be honest.” He paused for a moment. “And well, fights happen. I’m obviously not the best person to give advice about beef with him, but I don’t know, maybe just talk to him? You’re good at talking to people. He’s not good at listening, but”, he made a disgruntled noise, “that’s not your fault.”  
  
“Heh.” Dick huffed. “I don’t know if just talking can fix this.”  
  
“And I don’t think it’s up to you to fix it at all. None of this. Concerning the secret identity stuff, we’re all gonna have to deal with that together. And Bruce, well… I honestly doubt that he’s doing bad or something just because of your fight. You know he’s always hiding shit and that’s nothing you can change. And not your responsibility either.”  
  
“But if I would have noticed sooner, maybe I could have helped. Instead of just yelling at him like a total idiot.” He gnawed on the inside of his cheek, brows furrowed in what felt like some sort of anger. At what, he wasn’t sure.  
  
“Dick, you’re seriously too nice for your own good.” Jason chuckled, but it sounded somewhat joyless. “I know you always want to help everyone, but some people don’t want to be helped. Some people just don’t want to listen. I think you should try talking to him, ‘cause, knowing you, not doing anything will only make you feel worse. But promise me that you won’t blame yourself anymore, okay? If he won’t let you help, that’s his own fault, not yours. Alright?”  
  
“I guess.” He wasn’t really convinced. Bruce was an incredibly complicated person. And while that wasn’t always easy to deal with, Dick felt like it wouldn’t be fair to hold that against him. But maybe he had to accept that it wasn’t in his power to do anything about that. If he didn’t give his former mentor space, he might just end up making it worse again. In that regard, Jason was probably right. They would have to talk when the time was right. Until then, drowning in self-loathing really wasn’t going to help anyone.  
  
“Seriously”, his little brother reassured. “You’re a really good person. Probably the best person I know.”  
  
“Pff, I doubt that.” Dick couldn’t help but smile. He was starting to feel somewhat lighter, less hopeless. Leave it up to the most emotionally scarred family member to help him deal with his self-doubt. “And should I really trust your judgement? You’re not exactly known for your people skills”, he grinned.  
  
“Hey, I have great people skills, I don’t know what you’re talking about”, Jason snorted.  
  
“Yeah right”, he laughed. “Alright, but seriously, enough of my whining. Sorry.” He really needed to stop apologizing so much. “So, uhm, I was actually wondering if you, Tim and Steph would want to come over this evening. To hang out.”  
  
Jason didn’t reply for a few seconds and Dick was starting to feel stupid for asking. “You mean. Like.” He could hear quiet snickering at the other end of the line. “A sleepover?”  
  
“No?” Of course Jason was going to make fun of it if he called it that. “...yes? Maybe.”  
  
“Oh my god”, his little brother snorted. “With Demon Brat and Replacement? Absolutely not.”  
  
“Funny, that’s what Dami said, too. I’m beginning to think we need some family therapy.”  
  
“Yeah, no shit”, Jason huffed, voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
“Okay, but seriously, we haven’t been able to hang out together in ages. I miss that. And I miss you.” He put on his best pleading voice. “Please?”  
  
Silence. “Ugh, curse you and your lonely big brother schtick, fine! I’ll come over.” Assuming that he was trying to sound annoyed, he didn’t really sound that annoyed. “But if any of you guys get too obnoxious, I’m gone.”  
  
“Sure, bro.” Dick couldn’t help the grin that was spreading on his face. At least there was one good thing about this awful day. Maybe things really weren’t all bad. He just had to keep his chin up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hello, so I'm still alive, surprisingly.  
> Was pretty busy with writing my bachelor thesis but I managed to whip sumn up ^^  
> As always, hope you guys like it and thank you so much for reading!


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